RNA concentration in zooplankton: seasonal variation in boreal species

Abstract

Variation in RNA concentration of 18 species of macrozooplankton from the Swedish west coast has been followed over 8 mo. There was a general trend of increasing RNA concentration from winter towards summer with maximum values usually occurring from March to June. The main seasonal variation in RNA concentration is suggested to reflect the seasonal variation in food supply and peaks to correspond to periods of high breeding intensity in species with discrete reproduction